February 15 2010
Odds and Ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass …
Doing Good, More Better
Here’s the thing about charity – it’s deeply personal. Save for a crisis that rally’s our collective consciousness, most good works are done on a small, local level with a resonance that hits our personal tide pools of feel good. My work for local hunger relief doesn’t strike the same chord for my wife who does dog rescue. You’re probably the same way with a completely different and very worthy cause that smacks you between the eyes and cuts into the fiber of your being deep enough to spur action and affect change.
Regardless of what your personal call-to-arms might be, here’s something we can all agree on – kids getting sick really sucks.
From March 1st – March 5th, Lamborn Family Vineyards, producers of minuscule amounts of Howell Mountain Cabernet and Zinfandel (with a helping hand from winemaker extraordinaire Heidi Barrett), are doing something about it.
Holding a silent auction via Facebook in support of a children’s cancer charity called, “Alex’s Lemonade Stand,” organizer Brian Lamborn is hoping to supersize the personal giving efforts he’s made in years past with his family.
The thing I like about “Alex’s Lemonade Stand” is their administrative expenses relative to income are very modest, meaning most of their income goes to good works related to their mission, as it should be. In addition, they fund the dual need of cancer research and the travel needs of families affected by cancer, hitting the cancer dastard from the top and the bottom.
The highest bidder of this silent auction wins one case each of the Lamborn Family Zin and Cabernet AND the folks from the winery will come to your location (anywhere in the contiguous 48 states), pour and kibitz with your family and friends for four hours, at no cost other than your winning bid.
It’s a winery-in-box for an event you can hold on a local level.
The thing is, this is a perfect “pay-it-forward” model, too. Your winning silent auction bid leads to an event in which you can gather folks, drink some red wine (researchers show that resveratrol, the antioxidant found in red wine, can be a preventative agent for cancer) and shakedown give attendees the opportunity to donate to your local children’s hospital, for example. It’s a win-win-win.
Look, times are still tight, we all give in our own ways, and the call for giving is omnipresent, but if ever there was a cause worthy of an “It’s for the kids” heartstring tug, it would be children with cancer. I urge you to consider making a bid at the Lamborn Family Vineyard charitable giving Facebook page – March 1st through the 5th.
Wine Holidays
On a completely separate and unrelated note, but apropos to President’s Day, I’ve added a section to my web site called, “Wine Holidays.”
Last year, with the approval of the brand stewards at Constellation (and Margrit Mondavi, I’m told), I started what I expect to be an annual observance – Robert Mondavi Day.
On May 16th of this year, the 2nd anniversary of Mondavi’s passing, I plan on continuing my blossoming tradition and drinking a Robert Mondavi wine (or a California wine, in general, if you’re inclined to join me) while reflecting for a moment about the man that meant so much to the development of the California wine industry we know today.
A day of acknowledgement and a tipple with dinner seems fitting, no?
A week after observing Robert Mondavi Day last year, I wrote a post about wine holidays in general – as in, why don’t we recognize a calendar of wine events? Heck, the Irish spread the craic with St. Patrick’s Day, shouldn’t wine lovers bring forth a little merriment on a scheduled basis?
I think so.
When I wrote the post, I suggested a couple of days as possibilities – John James Dufour Day in honor of the first successful winery in the U.S. and Judgment of Paris Day in honor of that famous wine day in 1976. As I contemplated a full year of holidays it needed to include what already informally existed along with the symbolic wine holidays that are well known (Thanksgiving and New Year’s).
Ultimately, I think I landed on a set of days that make sense to me. See if you agree.
Open That Bottle Night / February 27th: Started by Dorothy J. Gaither and John Brecher, former wine columnists at the Wall Street Journal, this day is designed for celebrants to open that “special occasion” wine on the last Saturday of every February. This “holiday” already has a fair amount of momentum, and is a fitting start to the “wine year” (along with being a fitting legacy to Dottie and John).
John James Dufour Day / April 3rd: A day in honor of John James Dufour, the Swiss immigrant who is widely credited with starting the first successful winery in Vevay, IN around 1807. I chose April 3rd this year as the first Saturday in April and a timeframe that coincides with the awakening of the vines and bud break.
Robert Mondavi Day / May 16th: As mentioned, a day to honor a legend.
Judgment of Paris Day / May 24th: Close on the heels of Robert Mondavi Day is the anniversary of the Judgment of Paris – the famous 1976 wine tasting in Paris that bolstered the nascent California wine industry.
Blessing of the Grapes Day / August 15th: A holiday to celebrate the harvest; traditional blessings tend to range in timeframe from the middle of August until the end of September. Aligning more closely with the ecumenical aspects of this holiday, I’ve placed it smack dab in the middle of August.
Thanksgiving / November 25th: Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving has become the “unofficial” wine holiday. It’s the linchpin of the wine holiday calendar.
Prohibition Repeal Day / December 5th: This day celebrates the already acknowledged anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. Can there be a better reason to pop a cork and pour a glass? A week into holiday madness, it certainly could be a respite to be thankful for small blessings.
New Year’s Eve / December 31st: Champagne and sparkling wines night in the spotlight!
Shortly, I plan on supporting this section of my site with a Facebook Fan page, as well. In the meantime, please feel free to grab the available code to place a badge on your web site and please feel free to make a suggestion for a wine holiday that should be included, but isn’t listed. I’d like to include a “Drink Local” day, and I’m open to suggestion on when that should land on the “Wine Holiday” calendar.
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Love the Robert Mondavi Day idea and will be following suit. California should give him a holiday.
My favorite RM moment was running into him and Margrit at Sunshine Foods in St. Helena, shopping for dinner. He declared loudly that he wanted steak. She smiled and said “Of course.”
The three of us exited the store at the same time. When I hopped on my cart and pushed off skateboard style he shouted at me: “You ride that thing!”